Thursday, July 14, 2016

A little bit of love will go a long way

·     * I want to preface this by saying I am not a world leader.  I am not a religious official. I am not a member of authority or power. I am a girl, behind a computer, scared.

       2016 is probably the worst year I’ve lived. I’ve lived through 9/11. I’ve lived through New Orleans. I’ve lived through countless shootings and deaths and tragedies. But I was too young. This year, things are really starting to stick with me.

The world is scary. But I’m scared for the world. Yes, of course, horrified for people -- Us living in this world. But I’m concerned for us as humans. Our humanism. What makes us keep going. We’ve become desensitized to literal nightmarish attacks. High death tolls – “Well, at least it was less than insert tragedy.” 

It’s a routine. Something bad happens. It breaks on social media. We read and read and read. Political figures make statements – “We’ll offer aide.” It’s talked about, torn apart, analyzed, re-analyzed, conspiracy theories are thrown in and out like a dodgeball game. Then the world slips into quiet lull for a day or two.

And then the cycle repeats.

Doesn’t that terrify you? Doesn’t that make you sick to your very core that after you’ve calmed down and accepted what happened, another one gets blown off the charts and you have to restart your equilibrium again.

And I hate how selfish this is sounding. I hate that I’m like “Wah, I’m scared.” There are people that are living through HELL.

I’m writing this more for myself. I don’t know what I’m feeling so I’m just going to talk, if that’s okay.

We’re scared to go to large crowd events. We’re scared to go to the movies. To a club. School. Public transportation. Church.

It’s a constant murmur. Fear ripples through the world, the darkness casting harrowing shadows on our day to day, paralyzing us into a constant state of paranoia. It makes us jump to conclusions and opinions that are backed by nothing other than hate. Fear brings out the worst in us.

I’m not sure what the answer is. But, no matter who and what is killed, no matter how much “man power” we have, no matter how many airstrikes, raids, captures, wars we have, it won’t end. Hate won’t end. I’m sorry, it won’t. Fighting hate with hate will only spawn more and more anger, fury, power struggles. HATE.

We have to combat it. Ourselves. Sure, you can’t rationalize with an extremist. I’m not telling you to go and sit down with ISIS and give them a lesson on “being kind to your neighbor.” 

I’m also not sympathizing with these attackers. I’m not here to defend them. I’m not here to save them.

But a person isn’t born with hate. It needs to be coddled, fermented, and spawned. Fear wraps its tendrils around the weak and manipulates them into puppets.

I’ve been trying to be less judgmental and spiteful. Less angry and annoyed. People are fighting their own battles. So, instead of taking it back out on someone who’s taking it out on me, just take it in stride. There’s no need for anger. There’s no need for hate.

Yeah, call me an idealist. I am.

I’m tired of reading about death and destruction. I’m tired of innocent lives being lost. I’m tired of racism and xenophobia. I’m tired of being scared. I’m tired of wanting to help but feeling incredibly useless and helpless.

Where is our future? Where are we headed? We’re spiraling downwards and crashing into the bloodiest domino game we’ve ever played.

I reached for one of my favorite books, Yes Please by Amy Poehler tonight. In it, she discussed her time in Haiti as well as the violence that’s slathered across the world.

“People are very bad and very good. A little love goes a long way.”

So as we learn more about the tragedies in France, maybe, let’s all put a little more love in our day. A little more strength to our neighbor. A little more positivity in our brain. A little more light in our souls.

Because we’re all humans. We all need love. We all need a shoulder to lean on.

Project love. Project positivity. Project growth and understanding.

I love you very much and I want you to know are very loved.  A little bit of it will go along way.




- Music and words lift me up when I need wings. These help me, I hope they help you. -










No comments:

Post a Comment